Who is Bad Bunny? Puerto Rican rapper set to headline 2026 Super Bowl half-time show


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Latin American superstar Bad Bunny, 31, will headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show, which is set to take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” the Grammy winner said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

He's fresh off a historic residency in Puerto Rico this month that drew more than 500,000 fans, and is the top nominee at this year's Latin Grammy Awards. He has become one of the world’s most streamed artists with albums such as Un Verano Sin Ti, an all-Spanish-language LP, and Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, released earlier this year.

Although he's become a well-known name, here is what else to know about him.

Where is Bad Bunny from?

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was born in Puerto Rico in 1994.

In May 2020, he told Rolling Stone of his childhood years: “I wasn't the kid who got involved in the streets. I liked to be at home with my family,” he said.

He also explained his pseudonym was “inspired by a childhood photo of him at Easter, grimacing in a plush bunny suit”.

Does Bad Bunny sing in English or Spanish?

Bad Bunny raps and sings primarily in Spanish, with only occasional use of English words or phrases in select collaborations or songs. The overwhelming majority of his own discography is in Spanish, and he is known for embracing and highlighting Latin American culture and language in his music.

Whom has Bad Bunny collaborated with?

The list of artists that the Puerto Rican rapper has worked with reads like the who's who of the Billboard Chart.

As well as Drake, Cardi B, J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Jhay Cortez and Tainy, he has also teamed up with Daddy Yankee, 21 Savage, Rosalia, Sech, Farruko, Rvssian, Nicki Minaj and Jennifer Lopez.

In 2018, Drake and Bad Bunny released Mia, in which the Canadian performer rapped in Spanish.

Over the years, he's collaborated with a diverse group of artists, especially from the Latin music scene.

Some notable collaborators include Feid, Arcangel, Young Miko and De La Ghetto, featured on his 2023 album Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar manana. He has also worked with Puerto Rican newcomers such as Dei V and Omar Courtz, who joined him for performances during his 2025 Puerto Rico residency.

Bad Bunny is known for his fashion sense

Sunglasses are a Bad Bunny style signature, and he has been spotted sporting unconventional and statement frames, as well as coloured lenses.

Since 2021, Bad Bunny has had a partnership with adidas that has evolved into a multifaceted collaboration blending high-performance sportswear, street style and cultural storytelling. In 2025, he collaborated with the sports brand, launching exclusive footwear connected to his Puerto Rican residency shoes.

Bad Bunny is an outspoken activist

The singer champions a number of causes and has been outspoken about the lack of humanitarian aid following Hurricane Maria in 2017, a catastrophe that devastated his home island.

He also established the Good Bunny Foundation, which distributes toys to impoverished children living in Puerto Rico.

In June 2020, the Good Bunny Foundation suggested and paid for the Black Lives Matter slogan to be painted on Ashford Avenue in Condado, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

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Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Brief scoreline:

Liverpool 2

Mane 51', Salah 53'

Chelsea 0

Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
Buy farm-fresh food

The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.

In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others. 

In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food. 

In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.